Afterlife in Lawndale
by kfunk
Summary: Who would have thought that after death, I would become an animated member of the Daria cast?
1. pt. 1

I woke up that morning, expecting it to be just like every other day of my life, but what really happened was anything but ordinary. By the end of the day, not only would I not be sleeping in my bed, I would also be living in another dimension.  
  
My day started out with a freak accident involving a game of Scrabble, a few ping-pong balls, and a can of EZ-Cheese, but the details of that are unimportant. All you need to know about the accident is that I died.  
  
Being raised as a Christian, I had expected to go to Heaven. I mean, sure I had jaywalked a few times and taken some tags of off mattresses, but overall, I had never done anything all that bad. When I first reopened my eyes after being declared dead, boy was I surprised! At first I thought that it had all been a dream and that I was staring at my TV, but then as I looked around, I realized that I wasn't in my room, or any room at all. I was standing right in front of Lawndale High! Apparently there is no Heaven and Hell. The afterlife is in fact Cartoonland, and it was fated for me to end up in Lawndale along with Daria, Jane, Trent, and the rest.  
  
My next surprise came when I looked at myself. For some reason, I was expecting for my own body to remain as in had, while everything around had transformed into 2-D. But looking down I realized that I, too, had become animated. Nothing about me had changed except for that I had become animated. I still looked basically the same, but in two dimensions and with computer-generated colors.  
  
I wasn't sure exactly where I was supposed to go, but I supposed that since I was already dead, I could do pretty much anything I pleased. I decided to go into the high school. Maybe someone there would know what I was supposed to be doing.  
  
As soon as I walked in the front doors, I was surrounded by the cast of my favorite cartoon! Right there in front of me was Britney, the head cheerleader.  
  
"Like hi, Katie. We've been totally expecting you!" she said, full of ditziness and pep as usual. I was completely confused. How did everyone know who I am? Looking around, everyone was going on completely as usual; not thinking it was any different than their everyday lives.  
  
Looking to my left, I saw the infamous Fashion Club. Quinn waved to me and started to say something, but just as that was happening, Daria herself grabbed me by the arm and pulled me away.  
  
"Trust me, Katie. You don't want to fall in with the wrong crowd. And they are definitely the wrong crowd."  
  
I couldn't believe all this was happening to me at once. There I was, dead, and in Lawndale, and then there was Daria talking to me! It was to good to be true, but I was sure I wasn't dreaming, unless death is just one eternal dream.  
  
"Come on, it's time for lunch. You can sit with me and Jane," said Daria in her usual monotone.  
  
"Uh, okay, Daria." I still wasn't completely sure what was going on or how everyone knew me, but I guess I'll never find that one out. I followed along, slightly dazed, to the cafeteria, where Jane was already sitting down.  
  
"So, Katie, I hear you have a thing for my brother," said Jane casually. I didn't know what was going on. First, everyone knew my name, and now Jane knows about my thing for Trent. But wait! It was then that it occurred to me that I was going to get to meet Trent, to live in the same town as Trent! Even when I was alive, I thought Trent would be hot if he were a real person, but as long as I'm now living in a cartoon, I'd actually get to meet him!  
  
Daria and Jane continued to talk as usual, but I spent the entire lunch period daydreaming about meeting Trent. Most of my life, although it's now over, my friends had made fun of me for my love for Trent. Too bad that I'll never be able to let them know that I will really finally meet him as a cartoon.  
  
After lunch, Daria and Jane showed me the way to Mr. O'Neill's class. He, too, seemed to know who I was and didn't think it any different that I was in his class. He continued on as usual. I wasn't too lost, seeing that I was in high school when I died, so everything was still rather fresh in my memory.  
  
"Now class, who can summarize last night's reading in Lord of the Flies? . Yes, Britney?"  
  
"There were these little boys, Mr. O'Neill. And they were stranded on an island. And the one boy got a shell-thing and made and horn and everyone heard it."  
  
"Well, uh, yes, Britney, but you were supposed to read the first chapter two weeks ago. We're much further than that now."  
  
"Oh," said Britney, somewhat dejectedly.  
  
"Now, does anyone want to tell us how last night's reading made you feel?" I remembered reading Lord of the Flies quite vividly, so I figured what the hell? I raised my hand.  
  
"Yes, you.. uh, uh..."  
  
"Her name is Katie, Mr. O'Neill." It was Kevin.  
  
"Oh yes, Katie. What do you have to say?"  
  
"Well, Mr. O'Neill. I believe the pig's head on the stick in last night's reading symbolized the evils of the world, and the flies symbolized all the people flocking towards the evil." Britney made a high-pitched sound from the back of the room, showing her disgust.  
  
"Yes, Katie. That is correct, but you didn't answer the question. Daria, how did the book make you feel?"  
  
"Um. It made me feel happy and filled with hope for the future of mankind," responded Daria, obviously being sarcastic.  
  
"Well, Daria, that is an interesting answer, but I'm not sure that that is what the author was trying to accomplish." 


	2. pt. 2

The day went on much like that. I was having a blast, but not nearly as much fun as I knew I would have when I finally got to meet Trent.  
  
After school let out for the day, I began to walk home with Daria and Jane, although I didn't know exactly where in Lawndale I was supposed to be staying. When we got to Jane's house, she invited Daria and me in. My heart started to beat faster, just knowing that the cartoon heartthrob was right inside. Of course, I accepted, and followed the two into the Lane household.  
  
The second we walked in, there he was. Trent Lane, asleep on the couch.  
  
"We're home, Trent," said Jane, waking up her brother.  
  
"What? Oh," said Trent, sitting up. He looked even better in real life, or should I say, death. "Hi Jane, Daria and uh, Jane's friend." This was odd. It seemed as though Trent was the only one in Lawndale who didn't already know who I was.  
  
"Oh yeah. Trent, this is Katie. Katie, this is Trent, but then again, you already knew that." Jane nudged me with her elbow. "I'm going out to the kitchen to make some smoothies. You guys want one?"  
  
"Sure," said Trent and me in unison.  
  
"I'll go and help you," said Daria, following Jane into the kitchen. Trent and I were sitting alone on the couch. I couldn't believe it, but now there was a dilemma. What the hell was I supposed to say? I said the first thing I could think of.  
  
"So, Trent. I hear you play in a band."  
  
"Yup. Well, when I'm awake anyway," he said in the scratchy voice that I love, smiling.  
  
"I play guitar too."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah, I have an Ibanez SA160." It was then that I realized my guitar, my baby, probably hadn't come with me to the afterlife. But who cares? This was much better.  
  
"No way. If had any ambition I'd sell mine to get a sweet guitar like that."  
  
Just then, a black and white cat walked in. At first I was confused, because I knew the Lanes didn't have a cat, but after a second glance, I realized something. It was my cat! It was the animated version of Oreo, my cat! My other baby! Knowing that I would also be with my cat now that I'm dead was almost as exciting as being with Trent.  
  
"This is my cat, Oreo. We found him stray this morning, and I've already become too attached to take him to a shelter or anything." Oreo walked over to the couch. Trent scratched under the cat's chin. The perfect cat and the perfect guy. It was just so.well, perfect! "He plays fetch too. Did you know that?" His eyes lit up every time he talked about hit cat. My cat. It was amazing.  
  
"Yes, I know." He looked oddly confused that I knew, but I didn't explain anything to him. I could hardly believe that I was dead and this was the afterlife myself, so I didn't want to confuse Trent even more.  
  
"So, Katie, you want to come with my band next weekend? We're playing out-of-town, and you could ride along in the van if you want." Daria and Jane were just returning with the smoothies.  
  
Daria warned me, "Katie, you should be aware that you will be riding in a van that reeks of testosterone and human excrement with four guys who are asleep ninety percent of the time, including the time they spend driving."  
  
"Sure, Trent, I'd love to go."  
  
Soon we left, and I was free to roam the streets of Lawndale on my own. Sure, I had no place to stay, but I had just met Trent Friggin Lane! And how bad could life on the streets of Lawndale be? I was sure that I would eventually find somewhere, but I wasn't too worried yet. I was just overwhelmed with the fact that I would soon be going on the trip of a lifetime with Trent Lane, even if my actual lifetime was over. 


End file.
